Antenna system and method of assembly for a wearable electronic device

ABSTRACT

An antenna system for a wearable electronic device includes a first conductive surface constructed from a segment of outer housing of the wearable electronic device. The first conductive surface spans a first axis through the wearable electronic device. The antenna system also includes a second conductive surface that spans the first axis. The second conductive surface is constructed from a set of contacting metal components that are internal to the wearable electronic device. The first and second conductive surfaces are separated by a space. The antenna system also has a contact element having a feeding element that connects the first conductive surface to the second conductive surface along a plane that is normal to the first conductive surface.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is related to and claims benefit under 35 U.S.C.§119(e) from U.S. Provisional Patent Application Ser. Nos. 62/006,316filed Jun. 2, 2014 and 62/016,884 filed Jun. 25, 2014, the entirecontents of each being incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE DISCLOSURE

The present disclosure relates to an antenna system for a wearableelectronic device and more particularly to an antenna system constructedfrom an outer housing of the wearable electronic device.

BACKGROUND

As electronics evolve, items that are commonly worn on a person's bodyare adapted to perform additional functions. For example, somewristwatches and eyeglasses are fitted with electronics to performfunctions such as visual recordings and wireless transmission. Oneshortcoming, however, in such devices is a tradeoff between stylishappearance and electronic performance. More particularly, for someelectronics, high performance is achieved at the expense of concessionsin appearance, and an elegant appearance is achieved by compromisingperformance.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

The accompanying figures, where like reference numerals refer toidentical or functionally similar elements throughout the separateviews, together with the detailed description below, are incorporated inand form part of the specification, and serve to further illustrateembodiments of concepts that include the claimed embodiments, andexplain various principles and advantages of those embodiments.

FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a wearable electronic device configuredwith an antenna system in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 2 illustrates an exploded view of various components of a wearableelectronic device configured with an antenna system in accordance withan embodiment.

FIG. 3 illustrates a cross-sectional view and a plan view of componentsof a wearable electronic device configured with an antenna system inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates another plan view of components of a wearableelectronic device configured with an antenna system in accordance withan embodiment.

FIG. 5 illustrates another cross-sectional view of components of awearable electronic device configured with an antenna system inaccordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates two views of a contact element for an antenna systemin accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 7 illustrates a cross-sectional view and an overhead view ofcomponents of a wearable electronic device configured with an antennasystem in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 8 illustrates another cross-sectional view and overhead view ofcomponents of a wearable electronic device configured with an antennasystem in accordance with an embodiment.

FIG. 9 shows a flow diagram illustrating a method for assembling awearable electronic device having a slot antenna in accordance with anembodiment.

Skilled artisans will appreciate that elements in the figures areillustrated for simplicity and clarity and have not necessarily beendrawn to scale. For example, the dimensions of some of the elements inthe figures may be exaggerated relative to other elements to help toimprove understanding of embodiments of the present disclosure. Inaddition, the description and drawings do not necessarily require theorder illustrated. It will be further appreciated that certain actionsand/or steps may be described or depicted in a particular order ofoccurrence while those skilled in the art will understand that suchspecificity with respect to sequence is not actually required.

The apparatus and method components have been represented whereappropriate by conventional symbols in the drawings, showing only thosespecific details that are pertinent to understanding the embodiments ofthe present disclosure so as not to obscure the disclosure with detailsthat will be readily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the arthaving the benefit of the description herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Generally speaking, pursuant to the various embodiments, the presentdisclosure provides for an antenna system for a wearable electronicdevice. In one example embodiment, the antenna system includes a firstconductive surface constructed from a segment of outer housing of thewearable electronic device. The first conductive surface spans a firstaxis through the wearable electronic device. The antenna system alsoincludes a second conductive surface that spans the first axis. Thesecond conductive surface is constructed from a set of contacting metalcomponents that are internal to the wearable electronic device. Thefirst and second conductive surfaces are separated by a space. In oneexample embodiment, the antenna system also includes a contact elementhaving a feeding element that connects the first conductive surface tothe second conductive surface along a plane that is normal to the firstconductive surface.

In another implementation, a wearable electronic device includes a rearhousing component and a front housing component. The front housingcomponent is connected to the rear housing component at a first edge,and the front housing component has an opening at a second opposingedge. The wearable electronic device also includes internal componentsat least partially enclosed by the front and rear housing components.The internal components include a display having a surface that spansthe opening of the front housing component. The wearable electronicdevice further includes an antenna system in accordance with anembodiment. The antenna system has a first conductive surfaceconstructed from a segment of the front housing component. The firstconductive surface is disposed normal to the surface of the display. Theantenna system also includes a second conductive surface disposed normalto the surface of the display. The second conductive surface isconstructed from a set of contacting metal components of the internalcomponents. The first and second conductive surfaces are separated by aspace. The antenna system further includes a contact element having afeeding element that connects the first conductive surface to the secondconductive surface along a direction that is normal to the firstconductive surface.

In accordance with yet another embodiment is a method for assembling awearable electronic device having a slot antenna. The method includeslayering a contact element, a printed circuit board, and a display ontoat least one of a rear housing component or a front housing component.The layering is performed along a first axis. The method furtherincludes connecting the front housing component to the rear housingcomponent to assemble the wearable electronic device such that a lateralsurface of the front housing component extends along the first axis,wherein the connecting creates a slot antenna. The created slot antennaincludes first and second conductive surfaces disposed along the firstaxis and separated by a space and further includes the contact element.The first conductive surface is constructed from a segment of thelateral surface of the front housing component. The second conductivesurface is constructed from a segment of the printed circuit board and asegment of at least one metal element disposed between the printedcircuit board and the display. A feeding element of the contact elementconnects the first conductive surface to the segment of the printedcircuit board along a direction that is normal to the first conductivesurface.

Turning to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates a representative wearableelectronic device 100 in which embodiments of an antenna system can beimplemented. The wearable electronic device 100 includes a portableelectronic device 106, in this case a smartwatch, having a displayassembly 102. The wearable electronic device 100 further includes awearable element 104 attached to the portable electronic device 106, inthis case a wristband 104, which allows the portable electronic device106 to be worn on a person's body. The present disclosure refers to asmartwatch or wrist-worn electronic device to illustrate embodiments ofthe antenna system. However, the antenna system and method forassembling a wearable electronic device that includes the antennasystem, described herein, can be applied to any electronic device thatcan operate using an antenna. Such devices include, but are not limitedto: other types of wearable electronic devices such as eyewear thatincorporates a portable electronic device; portable electronic devicesfor monitoring body functions such as heart rate monitors and pulsemonitors; and the like.

In the example smartwatch 100 of FIG. 1, the display assembly 102 iscircular and can display information such as the current date and time,notifications, images, and the like. In the embodiment shown, thedisplay assembly 102 is implemented as an analog watch-face thatdisplays the current time using multiple rotating hour and minutepointers or hands that point to numbers arranged around a circumferenceof the display assembly 102. In other embodiments, the watch-facedigitally displays information such as the current date and time as asequence of alpha-numeric digits. In further embodiments, the displayassembly 102 hosts a user interface through which the smartwatch 100 canbe configured and controlled. In yet other embodiments, the displayassembly 102 has another shape, such as square, rectangular, oval, etc.

FIGS. 2-8 illustrate different views of an electronic device, such asthe smartwatch 100, that incorporates the present teachings. Therefore,when describing FIGS. 2-8, reference will be made specifically to thesmartwatch 100 shown in FIG. 1, although the principles described can beapplied to other types of electronic devices. In FIG. 2 some components200 the smartwatch 100 are shown in an exploded view. Illustratively,the smartwatch 100 incorporates the components 200 in a “stack,” whereina plurality of internal components including a display bezel 204, aprinted circuit board (PCB) 206, a shield 210, and a contact element 212are stacked or layered on top of one another and enclosed within acavity of front 202 and rear 214 outer housing components. Front andrear housing components are also referred to herein as front and rearhousing. As shown, the components 202, 204, 206, 210, 212, and 214 arestacked along a Z axis, which is also referred to herein and in theclaims as a first axis. FIG. 2 shows one illustrative layering orstacking of the components 200 of the smartwatch 100. In otherembodiments, however: some of the components 200 are disposed indifferent locations of the stack; major components are combined into aunitary component; and other components, not shown in FIG. 2, areincluded to accomplish specific tasks.

Further to the details of the illustrative component stack 200, thefront housing component 202 has a cylindrical shape with a cavity in thecenter that is sufficiently deep to enclose or contain most or all ofthe internal components of the device 100. The front housing component202 is constructed from a conductive material, such as any suitablemetal, to enable a segment of the front housing component 202 to formpart of an antenna system or antenna for short, in accordance with thepresent disclosure, for the smartwatch 100. Namely, a first conductivesurface of the antenna is constructed from a portion of the fronthousing component 202.

The display bezel 204 is disposed between a display assembly (not shownin FIG. 2) and the PCB 206, and provides support for the displayassembly after the device 100 is assembled. Also, when assembled, a lensor touchscreen of the display assembly extends through an opening 216 ofthe front housing component 202. An example display assembly includes anumber of layers that are adhesively attached to the front housing 202.For example, layers of a liquid crystal display (LCD) assembly include,but are not limited to, polarizing films, glass substrates, and an LCDpanel. Resistive touchscreens include, for instance, multipleelectrically resistive layers. Capacitive touchscreens include multiplelayers assembled to detect a capacitive impingement on the touchscreen.

Electronic components on the PCB 206 provide most of the intelligentfunctionality of the device 100. The PCB 206 illustratively includeselectronic components, such as, one or more communication elements,e.g., transceivers, that enable wireless transmission and reception ofdata. One example PCB 206 also includes media-capture components, suchas an integrated microphone to capture audio and a camera to capturestill images or video media content. Various sensors, such as aPhotoPlethysmoGraphic sensor for measuring blood pressure, are disposedon some PCBs 206. Still other PCBs 206 have processors, for example oneor a combination of microprocessors, controllers, and the like, whichprocess computer-executable instructions to control operation of thesmartwatch 100. In still other examples, the PCB 206 includes memorycomponents and audio and video processing systems. In this examplecomponent stack, the shield 210 is positioned over the PCB 206 toprotect the electronic components arranged on the PCB 206.

The contact element 212 is another component of the antenna system, forthe electronic device 100, in accordance with the present teachings. Forsome embodiments, the antenna system is arranged as a slot antenna,wherein the contact element 212 connects the first conductive surface ofthe antenna (that functions as a radiator) with a second conductivesurface of the antenna (that functions as electrical ground), to drivethe antenna. Further, the contact element 212 tunes the antenna based onhow the contact element 212 is configured. An example contact element212 is constructed from a conductive material, e.g., any suitable metal.

In an embodiment, the contact element 212 is configured to electricallyconnect the front housing 202, from which the first conductive surfaceof the antenna is constructed, to the printed circuit board 206, whichis one contacting metal component of a second conductive surface of theantenna system for the device 100. In a particular embodiment, thedisplay bezel 204 and the shield 210 are also contacting metalcomponents that make up the second conductive surface. “Contacting”metal components or elements are internal components of a device thatare physically connected or physically touch at some metal segment ofthe components to provide a continuous electrical connection alongmultiple conductive surfaces, for instance to provide an electricalground for a slot antenna. A contacting metal component need not beconstructed entirely of metal. Only the segment of the contacting metalcomponent that makes up part of the second conductive surface needs tobe constructed of metal.

The rear housing component 214 is made of any suitable non-conductive ornon-metallic material, with ceramic used in some embodiments and plasticused in other embodiments. Using a non-metallic material for the rearhousing 214 prevents inadvertent electrical connections between thefirst and second conductive surfaces of the antenna, which wouldnegatively impact the antenna's functionality. In one particularembodiment, the wristband 104 (see FIG. 1) or other wearable elementattaches to the rear housing 214 with wristband-attachment pins (notshown) or via another well known mechanism. Housing-attachment pins (notshown) are one possible mechanism for connecting the rear housing 214 tothe front housing 202. In a further embodiment, a separate endplate (notshown) covers the rear housing 214.

As mentioned above, in one example, the device 100 includes an antennasystem that can be configured to operate as or in accordance withprinciples of operation of a slot antenna. Namely, conventional slotantennas are constructed by creating a narrow slot or opening in asingle metal surface and driving the metal surface by a drivingfrequency such that the slot radiates electromagnetic waves. For someimplementations, the slot length is in the range of a half wavelength atthe driving frequency.

By contrast, instead of an opening being cut into a single metal surfaceto create the slot antenna, the present teachings describe a space, gapor aperture (the effective “slot”) located between first and secondconductive surfaces of an antenna system, wherein the antenna system canbe configured to radiate electromagnetic waves at a desired frequencythrough this slot, also referred to herein as a radiating slot. Inessence, an antenna system in accordance with the present teachings canbe termed as a “slot” antenna since it can be configured to radiate,through the space or slot between the first and second conductivesurfaces, electromagnetic waves having a substantially similar patternto the electromagnetic waves radiated through the opening of aconventional slot antenna. More particularly, in accordance with anembodiment, the antenna system can be configured with an aperturebetween the first and second conductive surfaces that has a length thatis in the range of a half wavelength at the driving frequency.

FIG. 3 shows a cross-sectional view 300 of the components 202, 204, 210,206, and 214 when the smartwatch 100 is assembled. More specifically,when assembled, the front housing component 202 is connected to the rearhousing component 214 at a first edge 320 of the front housing component202. The front 202 and rear 214 housing components may also be connectedat areas other than the edge 320. The opening 216 of the front housingcomponent 202 is at a second opposing edge 322 of the front housingcomponent 202. The front and rear housing components 202, 214 at leastpartially enclose the internal components, e.g., 204, 206, 210, and 212,of the device 100.

The internal components also include a display 324 that spans theopening 216 of the front housing component 202. As used herein, a“display” of a display assembly is the element or panel, for instance anLCD panel or capacitive element panel, upon which pixels of an image orpicture, video, or other data are shown. Properties of the display 324are described in greater detail in relation to FIG. 7. A surface spansan axis or opening when the surface extends over or across the axis oropening in the same direction of the axis or opening. A first surfacespans a second surface when the first surface extends at least partiallyover or across the second surface in the same direction as the secondsurface, wherein there is at least some overlap between the twosurfaces. It should be noted that for one surface to span anothersurface, the two surfaces need not be directly adjacent to one another.Similarly, for a surface to span an opening, the surface need not bedirectly adjacent to the opening.

Illustratively, an edge 330 of the surface of the display 324 alignswith the second edge 322 of the front housing component 202. Thus, thedisplay 324 spans the opening 216 such that there is no mask positionedbetween edges of the display 324 and the second opposing edge 322 of thefront housing component 202. Accordingly, when a user views theelectronic device 100 from above, the display 324 can be configured todisplay images in a region that spans the full area of the opening 216,which beneficially provides for a device that has an edge-to-edgedisplay.

The cross-sectional view 300 further illustrates an antenna system, inaccordance with the present teachings, having first 326 and second 328conductive surfaces that are separated by a space 302 that can radiateelectromagnetic waves as a slot antenna. In this example, the firstconductive surface 326 is constructed from a segment of outer housing ofthe wrist-worn electronic device 100. In a particular embodiment, thefirst conductive surface 326 for the antenna system is formed using aninner surface of the front housing component 202. In this case, thefront housing component 202 has a cylindrical shape such that thesegment of the outer housing from which the first conductive surface 326is constructed is curved. Where the outer housing has a different shape,such as cuboid, the segment of the outer housing from which the firstconductive surface 326 is constructed can have right angles.

Illustratively, the first conductive surface 326 is also seamless,meaning that the first conductive surface is a continuous piece of metalin an area where currents flow when the antenna system is operating,notwithstanding the continuous piece having openings for buttons andsuch. This seamlessness enables the current generated during theoperation of the antenna system to be maintained within the innersurface of the front housing component 202, as opposed to escapingthrough a discontinuity in the housing component. This allows moreefficient operation of the antenna system. As further illustrated in thecross-sectional view 300, the first conductive surface 326 spans a firstaxis, which in this case is the Z axis, through the electronic device100. In relation to the display 324, which has a surface that spans theX and Y axes, the first conductive surface 326 is disposed normal to thesurface of the display 324.

Also illustrated in cross-sectional view 300, the second conductivesurface 328 is constructed from a set of contacting metal componentsthat are internal to the electronic device. As used herein, a setincludes one or more of a particular item. As mentioned above, in thiscase, the second conductive surface 328 is constructed from the set ofcontacting metal components which includes the internal components ofthe PCB 206, the shield 210, and the display bezel 204. In thisembodiment, the second conductive surface 328 is constructed fromadjacent contacting metal surfaces of each of the internal components204, 206, and 210.

Particularly, the PCB 206 is disposed adjacent to, in this case directlyadjacent to, the rear housing component 214. The shield 210 is disposeddirectly adjacent to the PCB 206. The display bezel 204 is disposeddirectly adjacent to the shield 210 and the display 324. Two items thatare adjacent to each other are near or in the vicinity or proximity ofeach other. Directly adjacent items contact one another in at least onelocation. Accordingly, the second conductive surface 328 that is formedfrom the contacting metal segments of the adjacent internal components204, 206, and 210 is also disposed along the Z axis normal to thesurface of the display 324.

A properly performing antenna radiates, meaning communicates by sendingand/receiving, radio waves (also referred to herein as signals) in adesired frequency range, referred to herein as the desired radiatingfrequency or the radiating frequency of the antenna, using a radiatingstructure that is driven by at least one feeding element. The antennafurther suppresses one or more undesired or unwanted radiatingfrequencies, referred to herein as frequencies outside the desiredradiating frequency, using at least one suppression element. In someembodiments, the contact element 212 is configured to perform thefunctions of setting and feeding the desired radiating frequency andsuppressing unwanted frequencies.

FIG. 3 illustrates an overhead view 314 of the device 100 showing anexample contact element 212 in accordance with the present teachings.The view 314 omits many of the components of the device 100 shown in thecross-sectional view 300 to focus on the contact element 212 in thecontext of the device 100 as a whole. As shown, the contact element 212includes a plurality of legs 304, 306, 308, and 310, which are alsoreferred to herein as extensions. In some embodiments, the extensions304, 306, 308, and 310 connect the first electrical conductor 326 to thesecond electrical conductor 328 at different location along the PCB 206and the front housing component 202. Moreover, the extensions 304, 306,308, and 310 have a substantially similar construction, but performdifferent functions. Namely, the extension 304 operates as a feedingelement; the extensions 306 and 308 operate as frequency settingelements, and the extensions 310 operate as frequency suppressionelements, as explained in further detail below. Further, the extensions304, 306, 308, and 310 define physical characteristics of an antennasystem for the device 100, in accordance with the present teachings.

For one embodiment, the extensions 304, 306, 308, and 310 definephysical characteristics of a slot antenna having a radiating slot 316formed between the first 326 and second 328 conductive surfaces. Duringoperation, the antenna system radiates electromagnetic waves through theradiating slot 316 at the desired radiating frequency. The length of theradiating slot 316 affects the radiating frequency at which the antennaoperates and is defined by the position of the legs 306 and 308.Particularly, the leg 306 is located coincident with a first end of theradiating slot 316, and the leg 308 is located coincident with a secondend of the radiating slot 316. Accordingly, the legs 306 and 308 operateas first and second frequency setting elements the locations of whichcontrol the radiating frequency for the slot antenna having the slot316.

In other examples, the frequency setting elements 306 and 308 arelocated closer or further apart, which changes the length of the slot316, thereby, changing the radiating frequency of the slot antenna. Thefeeding element 304 is illustratively located between the first andsecond legs 306 and 308 and functions to drive the first conductivesurface 326, which operates as a radiating structure, to generate andradiate radio waves at the desired radiating frequency through the slot316.

Similar to some other antenna structures, an antenna in accordance withthe present teachings operates in a particular frequency range. If theantenna emanates signals outside of this frequency range, theeffectiveness of the antenna is compromised. Thus, such undesiredfrequencies should be suppressed. Accordingly, in an embodiment, thecontact element 212 includes the set of frequency suppression elements310, which operate to suppress one or more undesired radiatingfrequencies. Particularly, the frequency suppression elements 310minimize the space between the first 326 and second 328 conductivesurfaces in circumferential areas of the device 100 other than the slot316 to, thereby, minimize the radiation of frequencies that are notwithin the range of operating frequencies for the antenna. Although inthis embodiment eight frequency suppression elements 310 are shown, inother embodiments the device 100 includes more or fewer frequencysuppression elements 310. Further, locations of the frequencysuppression elements 310 may vary relative to one another in differentembodiments depending on which frequencies are to be suppressed.

FIG. 4 illustrates a plan view 400 of the device 100 looking downthrough the opening 216 of the outer housing 202. The view 400 shows thecontact element 212, the PCB 206 with various electronic componentsarranged thereon, and the shield 210. In one example, the componentsarranged on the PCB 206 include a wireless transceiver 402 disposed nearthe feeding element 304. The wireless transceiver 402 communicatesdevice data using the feeding element 304. Namely, the feeding element304 is electrically connected to the wireless transceiver 402, forinstance using metal traces that are not shown. The feeding element 304also connects to the first conductive surface 326, which is constructedfrom the outer housing 302. The first conductive surface 326 operates asa radiating element to communicate wireless signals carrying device databetween the wireless transceiver 402 and wireless transceivers ofexternal devices.

The wireless transceiver 402 is configured with hardware capable ofwireless reception and transmission using at least one standard orproprietary wireless protocol. Such wireless communication protocolsinclude, but are not limited to: various wireless personal-area-networkstandards, such as Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers(“IEEE”) 802.15 standards, Infrared Data Association standards, orwireless Universal Serial Bus standards, to name just a few; wirelesslocal-area-network standards including any of the various IEEE 802.11standards; wireless-wide-area-network standards for cellular telephony;wireless-metropolitan-area-network standards including various IEEE802.15 standards; Bluetooth or other short-range wireless technologies;etc.

Turning now to FIG. 5, which illustrates a cross-sectional view 500 ofthe device. During assembly of the device 100, the front housing 202 isengaged with the rear housing component 214 by applying forces along theZ axis which is substantially normal to a top surface of the PCB 206,which spans the X and Y axes. The cross-sectional view 500 alsoillustrates that, in one example, the contact element 212 is disposed onan upper surface 506 of the rear housing component 214.

View 500 further shows that the first conductive surface 326 extendsdown to the rear housing component 214. Consequently, some embodimentsof the electronic device can include a metal component, such aswristband 104, connected to an outside surface 508 of the front housingcomponent proximal to the first conductive surface 326. The metalcomponent can further be proximal to a region, within the space betweenthe first and second conductive surfaces, which contains current whenthe antenna system is operating without affecting the antenna'stransmission properties as long as the metal component is not positionedsuch as to electrically short together the first and second conductivesurfaces.

In one embodiment, the device 100 includes a receptacle 502 configuredto receive an attachment pin (not pictured). The attachment pin isshaped to fit a loop in the wristband 104 to hold the device 100 to auser's wrist. Depending on the embodiment, the attachment pin is made ofmetal, plastic, ceramic or another material suitable to hold thewristband 104 to the device 100. Also depending on the embodiment, theband 104 is made of metal, leather, or any other material capable ofsecurely holding the device 100 to a user's wrist. Because currents of aslot antenna in accordance with the present teachings flow inside theslot area, objects made of metal or any other materials placed incontact with an external surface of the front housing 202 do not affectantenna performance. Thus, if the device 100 is fitted with a metalattachment pin and/or wristband, the antenna 316 maintains itstransmission properties and thus there is no need to retune the antenna.

FIG. 6 shows two views 600 and 602 of the contact element 212 and itsextensions 610. As previously described, the extensions are configuredto perform various functions including frequency setting and frequencysuppression. The views 600, 602 illustrate that the contact element 212is formed into a single piece of metal. Thus, as FIG. 3 in conjunctionwith FIG. 6 show, the first and second frequency setting elements 306and 308 and at least one frequency suppression element 310 areconstructed into a single piece of metal, such as the contact element212. Further, the single piece of metal is curved. Because the contactelement 212 is disposed on an upper edge 506 of the rear housing 214that is substantially concentric with the front housing component 202,the single piece of metal has a curvature that corresponds to acurvature of the outer housing 202 of the wearable electronic device100. Further, the front housing component 202 has a cylindrical shape(see FIG. 2), and the contact element 212 has a semi-circular shape thatconforms to the cylindrical shape of the front housing 202 and that sitswithin the rear housing component 214.

The extensions 610 span downward from a top portion of the contactelement 212 to form a “U” shaped piece, which is capable of receivingthe upper edge 506 of the rear housing 214. When the contact element 212is disposed on the rear housing 214, a first side 608 of the contactelement 212 is positioned to contact the first conductive surface 326and a second side 604 is positioned to contact the second conductivesurface 328.

Each of the first 608 and second 604 sides of the extensions 610 have aspherical protrusion 606 which serves as a contact point between thecontact element 212 and other surfaces, such as the first 326 and second328 conductive surfaces. When the device 100 is assembled, the fronthousing component 202 is positioned over the rear housing component 214such that the extensions 610 of the contact element 212 flex to connectthe first conductive surface 326 to the second conductive surface 328,at least at the spherical protrusions 606.

FIG. 7 illustrates views 700 and 702 showing aspects of the contactbetween the contact element 212 and the first 326 and second 328conductive surfaces of the device 100. Views 700 and 702 also show thedisplay 324 within a display assembly 704, and the first 326 and second328 conductive surfaces in greater detail. A location of a cross-section‘A’ through the device 100 is illustrated in the overhead view 702. Theview 700 shows a cut-away view of the device 100 at the cross-section‘A’.

The display assembly 704 includes a lens 706, the display 324, and othercomponents, for instance various other layers as described above for anLCD display. The display 324 is configured to generate an image that isprojected through the lens 706 to a user of the device 100. The display324 is arranged within the device 100 such that the edge 330 of thesurface of the display 324 aligns with the second edge 322 of the fronthousing component 202. The alignment of the edge 330 of the display 324with the second edge 322 is illustrated at ‘C’.

View 700 also shows a leg 728 of the contact element 212, whichrepresents a feeding element, a frequency suppression element, or afrequency setting element. When the contact element 212 is disposed onthe lower housing 214 and the lower housing 214 is assembled with thefront housing 202, the legs of the contact element 212 are compressedalong one or both of the X and Y axes. This compression allows a feedingelement, for instance, of the contact element 212 to connect the firstconductive surface 326 to the second conductive surface 328 along aplane (in this case the X-Y plane) that is normal to the firstconductive surface 326 (in this case the Z axis).

In one example, the leg 728 is compressed to connect the firstconductive surface 326 at a contact point 712 and the second conductivesurface 328 at another contact point 714. The leg 728 exerts a force inthe X-Y plane to maintain the contact points 712 and 714 with the first326 and second 328 conductive surfaces, respectively. In one particularexample, the extension 728 is a feeding element which connects at thecontact point 714 a segment of the PCB 206, which is one of thecontacting metal components of the second conductive surface 328, to thefirst conductive surface 326 at the contact point 712.

When the device is assembled, a space 710, which illustratively formsportion of the slot antenna, is formed between the first conductivesurface 326 and the second conductive surface 328. This space 710 variesin size and dimension depending on in which cross-section of the device100 the space 710 is created. The variations in the size of the spacebetween the first and second conductive surfaces sometimes differbecause of the arrangement of the set of contacting metal componentscomposing the second conductive surface 328 in spatial relationship tothe first conductive surface 326. In other cases, a portion of the fronthousing component 202 has a different thickness at different locations,which affects the dimensions of the space 710.

FIG. 8 shows views 800 and 802 to allow the comparison of aspects ofFIG. 8 with FIG. 7. A location of a cross-section ‘B’ through the device100 is illustrated in the overhead view 802. The view 800 shows acut-away view of the device 100 at the cross-section ‘B’. Similar, tothe cross-section illustrated in FIG. 7, the device 100 is configured tohave a space 804 between the first conductive surface 326 and the secondconductive surface 328. The space 804 illustrated in FIG. 8, however, issmaller than the space 710 between the first 326 and the second 328conductive surfaces illustrated in FIG. 7. The difference in the size ofthe space between the two conductive surfaces is attributable to a cutor core-out partially shown in FIG. 7. At cross-section ‘A’, a portionof the front housing 202 stretching from 724 to 726 is “cored-out” tofacilitate communicating electromagnetic waves using the antenna systemof the present teachings. This same region 824, 826 remains intact atcross-section ‘B’ illustrated in view 800 to facilitate suppressingunwanted frequencies. Consequently the space 710 between firstconductive surface 326 and the second conductive surface 328 in view 700is larger than the space 804 illustrated in view 800. This change in thesize of the spaces 710, 804 shows that at least one dimension of thespace 710, 804 between the first 326 and second 328 conductive surfaceschanges.

FIG. 9 illustrates is a method 900 for assembling a wearable electronicdevice having a slot antenna. In one example, the method includeslayering the contact element 212, the printed circuit board 206, and thedisplay 324 onto at least one of the rear housing component 214 or thefront housing component 202. In the particular embodiment illustrated byreference to method 900, a display assembly, e.g., 704 of FIG. 7, islayered 902 onto and bonded to the front housing component 202.Moreover, the PCB 206 and at least one other metal component, forinstance as shown in FIG. 2, is layered 904 onto the rear housingcomponent 214.

The method 900 also includes connecting 906 the front housing component202 to the rear housing component 214 to assemble the wearableelectronic device 100 such that a lateral surface of the front housingcomponent 202 extends along the Z axis. The layering is performed in theZ axis which is normal to a face of the display 324. This layeringentails applying forces along the Z axis to bring these componentstogether. Connecting the front housing component 202 to the rear housingcomponent 214 creates a slot antenna having an aperture 316 inaccordance with the present teachings, for instance as described aboveby reference to FIGS. 1 to 8.

In the particular embodiment described by reference to FIGS. 1 to 8,layering the contact element comprises disposing adjacent to acylindrical rear housing component 214 a semi-circular metallic ring 212having formed therein the feeding element 304. Connecting the fronthousing component 202 to the rear housing component 214 comprisesconnecting a cylindrical front housing component 202 to the cylindricalrear housing component 214 to assemble a wrist-worn electronic device100.

The disclosed device 100 illustrated a cylindrical front housing 202with a circular face. In other embodiments, however, the front housingis configured with other shaped exteriors to present a front housingthat is not cylindrical and a face that is not circular. For example,the front housing 202 disclosed herein can be configured, for example,with a square face that extends downward to blend with the cylindricalrear housing such that the housing is not perfectly cylindrical and theface is square. In still other embodiments, the housing and/or face isconstructed with other shapes consistent with wearable electronicdevices having different outer appearances.

In the foregoing specification, specific embodiments have beendescribed. However, one of ordinary skill in the art appreciates thatvarious modifications and changes can be made without departing from thescope of the invention as set forth in the claims below. Accordingly,the specification and figures are to be regarded in an illustrativerather than a restrictive sense, and all such modifications are intendedto be included within the scope of present teachings.

The benefits, advantages, solutions to problems, and any element(s) thatmay cause any benefit, advantage, or solution to occur or become morepronounced are not to be construed as a critical, required, or essentialfeatures or elements of any or all the claims. The invention is definedsolely by the appended claims including any amendments made during thependency of this application and all equivalents of those claims asissued.

Moreover in this document, relational terms such as first and second,top and bottom, and the like may be used solely to distinguish oneentity or action from another entity or action without necessarilyrequiring or implying any actual such relationship or order between suchentities or actions. The terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,”“having,” “includes,” “including,” “contains,” “containing” or any othervariation thereof, are intended to cover a non-exclusive inclusion, suchthat a process, method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has,includes, contains a list of elements does not include only thoseelements but may include other elements not expressly listed or inherentto such process, method, article, or apparatus.

An element proceeded by “comprises . . . a,” “has . . . a,” “includes .. . a,” or “contains . . . a” does not, without more constraints,preclude the existence of additional identical elements in the process,method, article, or apparatus that comprises, has, includes, containsthe element. The terms “a” and “an” are defined as one or more unlessexplicitly stated otherwise herein. The terms “substantially,”“essentially,” “approximately,” “about” or any other version thereof,are defined as being close to as understood by one of ordinary skill inthe art, and in one non-limiting embodiment the term is defined to bewithin 10%, in another embodiment within 5%, in another embodimentwithin 1% and in another embodiment within 0.5%. The term “coupled” asused herein is defined as connected, although not necessarily directlyand not necessarily mechanically.

A device or structure that is “configured” in a certain way isconfigured in at least that way, but may also be configured in ways thatare not listed. As used herein, the terms “configured to”, “configuredwith”, “arranged to”, “arranged with”, “capable of” and any like orsimilar terms mean that hardware elements of the device or structure areat least physically arranged, connected, and or coupled to enable thedevice or structure to function as intended.

The Abstract of the Disclosure is provided to allow the reader toquickly ascertain the nature of the technical disclosure. It issubmitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpretor limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in theforegoing Detailed Description, it can be seen that various features aregrouped together in various embodiments for the purpose of streamliningthe disclosure. This method of disclosure is not to be interpreted asreflecting an intention that the claimed embodiments require morefeatures than are expressly recited in each claim. Rather, as thefollowing claims reflect, inventive subject matter lies in less than allfeatures of a single disclosed embodiment. Thus the following claims arehereby incorporated into the Detailed Description, with each claimstanding on its own as a separately claimed subject matter.

What is claimed is:
 1. An antenna system for a wearable electronicdevice, the antenna system comprising: a first conductive surfaceconstructed from a segment of outer housing of the wearable electronicdevice, wherein the first conductive surface spans a first axis throughthe wearable electronic device; a second conductive surface that spansthe first axis, wherein the second conductive surface is constructedfrom a set of contacting metal components that are internal to thewearable electronic device, wherein the first and second conductivesurfaces are separated by a space; a contact element having a feedingelement that connects the first conductive surface to the secondconductive surface along a plane that is normal to the first conductivesurface.
 2. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first conductivesurface is constructed from a segment of outer housing of a wrist-wornelectronic device.
 3. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the contactelement further comprises a set of legs that includes a first leg thatis located coincident with a first end of a slot antenna formed from thefirst and second conductive surfaces and a second leg that is locatedcoincident with a second end of the slot antenna, wherein the feedingelement is located between the first and second legs.
 4. The antennasystem of claim 3, wherein the first and second legs comprise first andsecond frequency setting elements the locations of which control aradiating frequency for the slot antenna.
 5. The antenna system of claim4, wherein the contact element further comprises at least one frequencysuppression element configured to suppress one or more undesiredradiating frequencies.
 6. The antenna system of claim 5, wherein thefirst and second frequency setting elements and the at least onefrequency suppression element are constructed into a single piece ofmetal.
 7. The antenna system of claim 6, wherein the single piece ofmetal is curved.
 8. The antenna system of claim 7, wherein the singlepiece of metal has a curvature that corresponds to a curvature of theouter housing of the wearable electronic device.
 9. The antenna systemof claim 1, wherein the outer housing has a cylindrical shape such thatthe segment of the outer housing from which the first conductive surfaceis constructed is curved.
 10. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein thefeeding element connects a segment of a printed circuit board, which isone of the contacting metal components, to the first conductive surface.11. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein the first conductive surfaceis seamless.
 12. The antenna system of claim 1, wherein at least onedimension of the space between the first and second conductive surfaceschanges.
 13. A wearable electronic device comprising: a rear housingcomponent; a front housing component connected to the rear housingcomponent at a first edge and the front housing component having anopening at a second opposing edge; internal components at leastpartially enclosed by the front and rear housing components, wherein theinternal components include a display having a surface that spans theopening of the front housing component; an antenna system comprising: afirst conductive surface constructed from a segment of the front housingcomponent, wherein the first conductive surface is disposed normal tothe surface of the display; a second conductive surface disposed normalto the surface of the display, wherein the second conductive surface isconstructed from a set of contacting metal components of the internalcomponents, wherein the first and second conductive surfaces areseparated by a space; a contact element having a feeding element thatconnects the first conductive surface to the second conductive surfacealong a direction that is normal to the first conductive surface. 14.The wearable electronic device of claim 13, wherein an edge of thesurface of the display aligns with the second edge of the front housingcomponent.
 15. The wearable electronic device of claim 13 furthercomprising a metal component connected to an outside surface of thefront housing component proximal to the first conductive surface. 16.The wearable electronic device of claim 13, wherein the set ofcontacting metal components of the internal components comprises aprinted circuit board disposed adjacent to the rear housing component,wherein the printed circuit board includes a communication elementconfigured to wirelessly communicate using the antenna system, whereinthe set of contacting metal components further comprises a shielddisposed adjacent to the printed circuit board and a display bezeldisposed adjacent to the shield and the display, wherein the feedingelement connects the communication element on the printed circuit boardto the first conductive surface of the antenna system.
 17. The wearableelectronic device of claim 13, wherein the front housing component has acylindrical shape, and the contact element has a semi-circular shapethat conforms to the cylindrical shape of the front housing componentand that sits within the rear housing component.
 18. The wearableelectronic device of claim 17, wherein the contact element furthercomprises at least first, second, and third extension members, whereinthe first and second extension members are configured to set a desiredradiating frequency for the antenna system, and the third extensionmember is configured to suppress an undesired radiating frequency.
 19. Amethod for assembling a wearable electronic device having a slotantenna, the method comprising: layering a contact element, a printedcircuit board, and a display onto at least one of a rear housingcomponent or a front housing component, wherein the layering isperformed along a first axis; connecting the front housing component tothe rear housing component to assemble the wearable electronic devicesuch that a lateral surface of the front housing component extends alongthe first axis, wherein the connecting creates a slot antennacomprising: a first conductive surface constructed from a segment of thelateral surface of front housing component; a second conductive surfacedisposed along the first axis, wherein the second conductive surface isconstructed from a segment of the printed circuit board and a segment ofat least one metal element disposed between the printed circuit boardand the display, wherein the first and second conductive surfaces areseparated by a space; and the contact element, wherein a feeding elementof the contact element connects the first conductive surface to thesegment of the printed circuit board along a direction that is normal tothe first conductive surface.
 20. The method of claim 19, whereinlayering the contact element comprises disposing adjacent to acylindrical rear housing component a semi-circular metallic ring havingformed therein the feeding element, and connecting the front housingcomponent to the rear housing component comprises connecting acylindrical front housing component to the cylindrical rear housingcomponent to assemble a wrist-worn electronic device.